Carton structure



Sept. 1938. A. E. BUESCHEL 2,130,378

CARTON STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I v I k. gg [WW Jzzdrewifiaesce/ P 1938- A. E. BUESCHEL I 2,130,378

CARTON S TRUCTURE Filed Aug. 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES CARTON STRUCTURE Andrew E. Bueschel, Mokena, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Consolidated Carton, Inc, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 1,

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to collapsible cartons and in particular to a constructionwithin the carton to provide either a false wall or bottom, a partition, or a false wall and a partition per-.

pendicular thereto. It has particular application to egg cartons wherein a partition is provided to separate two rows of eggs, and wherein the false wall is a bottom to provide a cushion for the eggs. The invention in its preferred form is adapted to the standard type of egg carton wherein two long rows of six eggs each are separated by a partition to provided dozen sized boxes. Therefore, the invention will be specifically illustrated and described by reference to egg cartons, but in such a way as to indicate how the invention may be differently embodied and modified for many special cartons.

The l2-egg carton is provided on the market by many forms of chip-board or cardboard material. Each box is formed from sheet material, folded and glued, so as to be collapsed to a fiat form. The user must set up the box to receive eggs. It is the aim in the art to simplify the setup operation without complicating the manufacture and without increasing the expense of the box. To balance economies constructions have been provided which require several manipulations to set up the box. Sometimes one or more partitions accompany each major box, to be used in the set-up operation for completing the structure of the box.

The present invention may be embodied to provide a box for eggs which needs but one simple operation to set up the box to receive eggs, and the act of inserting the eggs may effect such additional operations on parts of the box structure as are necessary to make it a fixed set-up box. The collapsed box of the present invention is merely opened froma flat form to a box form, presenting compartment areas for eggs, and then the eggs are inserted. The box is, therefore, termed a self set-up box, which term will be appreciated for egg cartons and other cartons from the following explanation. I

The object of the invention is to provide structure having linkage connections capable of folding flat with the box proper and of being operated automatically by the act of opening the collapsed box, to bring into position a partition or false 50 wall or bottom structure, or both.

Ap'artioular object of the invention is to provide an egg carton complete in all essential parts, without separate parts, from one continuous sheet of materiaLand foldable fiat.

Various other and ancillary objects and ad- 1936,-Serial No. 93,757

vantages of the invention will become apparent from the following descriptionand explanation of the invention as given below in reference to the illustrative forms of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 represents a single sheet or blank, cut and scored for folding into the eggs carton of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the collapsible carton formed by folding and gluing the blank of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a folding box having a false wall, a support therefor, and a partition, illustrating a structure not of one sheet, and also a non-inclined false wall.

Fig. 4 is an exemplary form showing several embodiments of the invention in a structure differing in use from an egg carton.

Briefly anticipating the detailed structure for an egg carton, the box in its preferred form is made from a single flat blank which'is cut and scored, then folded and glued, to provide every necessary part of the carton. The completed box exhibits individual side-by-side compartments for eggs, a closed bottom, a cover, and a false bottom to cushion the eggs. In addition the box may be so made that it can be divided at predetermined places to provide two or more boxes, each as complete as the parent in the above mentioned respect, except that each may be lacking in divisibility like the parent. The structure is such that the false bottom may be supported between the box sides, by them and .by the bottom, and be integralwith a longitudinal partition. Furthermore, the intersection partitions and'false bottom which provide egg compartments are all capable of being formed from the one continuous fiat blank, and of being housed in the box shell proper, which is also capable of being a continuous part of the same blank. I 40 Referring to both Figures 1 and 2 and largely for directions of parts to Fig. 2, the egg carton has an outer shell and an inner shell, the latter having top and bottom spaced respectively from the top and bottom of the outer shell. The 4r outer shell consists of cover 10 with edge flap H having hooked projections l2 which look into structure later described. The cover ill continues as-box side I3, then as box bottom it, thenas box side I5. The inner shell then begins as a series it of elements crossing the open top of the box which elements provide ties and cross partitions. The series it of elements is formed from a continuation of the sheetof box side. l5, and then continues as a reinforcement 5 I! of side wall I3, to which it is secured as far as the scored folding line I8. The sheet now begins to form the false bottom, which is in two longitudinal sections in the present instance. The

first section is designated I9 and inclined downwardly at a slight angle to the scored folding line 20 from which a short strip 2I of the sheet goes down to touch the bottom I4 and then upon folded edge 22 it reverses upon itself with adhesive union to project upwardly as a web 23 parallel to the box sides I3 and I5. The web extends to a folded edge 24 where it reverses again upon itself with adhesive union. The length of web 23 between the folding lines 22 and 24 is greater than the distance between the box bottom I4 and the top I6 of the inner shell, but the web 23 is cut into fingers 25 and intervening spaces 26 which cooperate with the series I6 of tie elements so that there is no obstruction as will later appear. The reversing part of the sheet from folding line 24 forms a reinforcement strip 21 for part of web 23 to the scored folding line 28, which is located on web 23 higher from the bottom than scored folding line 23 on the opposite side of the web 23.

From line 28 the sheet inclines slightly upwardly forming another section 29 of false bottom as far as the scored folding line 30, beyond which the remaining strip 3| of the sheet is secured to the box wall I5.

All the scored horizontal lines are indicated byarrows at the right of Fig. 1. All the areas of the sheet employed are indicated at the left of Fig. 1.

Beginning at the top of Fig. 1, the horizontal scored folding lines not above specifically designated are numbered downwardly in the drawings for the purposes of reference: 32, 33, 34, 34a, 34b and 340.

The false-bottom sections I9 and 29 are intended to support the eggs above the outer shell bottom I4. They may be punched to provide recesses for ends of the eggs and to cushion the eggs in said recesses. Numerous forms of cushion structures are known and may be used. Herein there are illustrated the type shown in my earlier Patent No. 1,940,292, issued Dec. 19, 1933. The recesses are designated generally by the numeral 35. Twelve egg recesses are formed in rows 2 x 6. The carton is made conveniently divisible into two sections each 2 x 3, and for this purpose the blank sheet is perforated at suitable places to permit easy breaking .or cutting. A knife may be used. To insure ease in severing the sections, it is preferred that the inner pieces which are not part of the outer shell, or adhesively united to it, be already severed. Hence the perforated portion along the middle division line in Fig. 1 is partly a dashed line 36 or 38 in strip 3| to indicate perforations, and partly a full line 31 to indicate completed cutting in advance of assembling the box from the blank. The arrangement may be varied as desired.

It is to be noted that the perforations 38 in strip 3I, at the end of the blank, serve to hold the blank in its rectangular form, the cut line 31 tending to make a bifurcated blank out of the whole.

The series It of elements above briefly referred to are made to form several cross top ties 40 and H at the ends of the carton, and at the middle adjacent ties 42 and 43 at the line of division. These ties remain flat across the top of the carton and carry the respective flaps 44, 45, 46 and 41 which can be bent down on the respective scored lines indicated as dotted lines 48, 45, 50 and 5|. The ends of these flaps are defined by an obtuse-angular cut with one line 52 (see flap 44) between the flap and tie (see tie 40) and the other line 53 between the flap and the section I5 or I! as the case may be.

Various portions of the section I6 are cut out to define the above mentioned ties and flaps, and also a number of intermediate flaps which function as vertical ties and cross partitions shown from left to right by the numerals: 54, 55, 56 and 51. Each of these is carried near its ends and at one edge by triangular tabs such as those numbered 58 and 59 on tie-flap 54, with dotted lines 60 and GI indicating scored folding lines continuous with edge 62 of the tie-flap. The ends of the tie-flaps are severed from the wall sections I5 and I! by the respective cuts 63 and 64 (see Fig. 1).

The four triangular tabs 58 above described are like tabs formed on the fiat-ties 40 and 43, which tabs are numbered 65 and 66 at the front wall adjacent wall section I5. These provide catches for locking the cover. On the projections I2 of the cover flap II, there are hooks or tabs 51 which are readily cammed inwardly by the triangular tabs and then locked under them.

From the foregoing description and directly from Fig. 2, it can be readily appreciated that the fingers 25 on the longitudinal partition can project above the level of the ties or cross partitions and between them. The recesses 26 in the longitudinal partition may be made curved to accommodate the path of the various flaps as they are turned from horizontal to vertical position, some being shown as turned. At the ends of the carton, and at the middle of the division line of the carton, the fingers I0 and II at the carton ends, and the adjacent or divisible fingers I2 and I3 at the center, are shorter to terminate below the respective flat ties 40, H, 42 and 43.

The parts above described are arranged in a novel way for the particular carton illustrated so that on severing the carton, one half-carton will substantially duplicate the other, and so that each half-carton will be complete in providing complete compartments for the eggs at the division line. Each half-carton is similarly locked in closed position by three hooks, and in the whole carton, these all move in the same direction to lock or to unlock them.

In collapsing the carton from the position shown, the front wall I5 moves forward in Fig. 2 along the line of dotted arc-arrow 68. The bottom I4, sides I3 and I5, and the ties of series It provide a parallelogram linkage. The false bottom sections I9 and 29, being nearly parallel with the bottom I4, but being free from linkage to the bottom at the web or vertical partition 23, readily follow in the collapsing movement and lie fiat. The spaced axes 20 and 28 where the false bottom sections hinge on the web 23 cause the web to be inclined forwardly and to lie fiat.

On setting-up the box the reverse motion causes the mid-web or partition 23 to be tilted toward the vertical without special effort to raise it. It may not always go to the exact vertical position, but it can easily be pushed to it by the end of an egg on insertion. The eggs are also used to bend the flaps down to serve as crosspartitions and thus to hold the box in rectangular form against collapsing,

It is particularly to be noted that the inclined floor width dimensions are greater than the same mid-web down against the box bottom as a sort of force acting beyond a dead-center. This is not necessary in the particular box described, where the short fingers underlie the fiat ties to insure holding the mid-web down to the bottom when no eggs are in the carton. Therefore, the false-bottom sections could be made parallel with the true bottom. Also the vertical spacing of axes 20 and 28 could be omitted, but the tilting force on the web would be greatly reduced or even lost. As an additionaland optional structure, means may be provided on one or both sides of the web or partition to lock the same in a vertical or otherrequired position. These may consist of tabs punched in the stock to be bent into locking position. 7 Two exemplary forms are shown at I5 and I6,

bending respectively on scored folding lines 'I'I and I8. Other forms may be readily made as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Although these are shown in the bottom I4 of the outer shell, they could be formed elsewhere, as in a transverse partition. A thumb-hole form is also shown having two adjacent right triangles 19 each bending on the hypotenuse.

The above described carton is an example of the present invention embodied in a one-piece unit. Of course, a' carton of similar form may as well be made from several pieces. Likewise the carton is an example of both a false wall, a support therefor, and a partition. Obviously the back-to-back sections 2I-23, which as a single web support the false bottom, could be omitted, and the partition 23-21 above it retained, or vice versa, without departing from the inventionhere set forth. One or more false bottom supports or upper partitions may be made, and they need not be at the same location.

Furthermore, the recesses illustrated for eggs may be made much larger and be merged in such a Way that the false bottom is practically elimina ed, leaving only linkage connections somewhere, preferably at the ends, to. support and to operate the partition on opening the box. These modifications are indicated in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, and these may better illustrate the principle operating in the egg carton.

In Fig. 3 the walls 80, 8| and 82 represent any three continuous faces of a collapsible box hinging on lines 83 and 84. Apartition 85 is provided parallel to walls and 82, but the partition has its edge 86 free. A linkage connection 81 extends between the partition and wall 82, above the level of wall 8|, but closely parallel to it. This connection is shown as having a narrow widthand as not providing a complete false wall. Its function is primarily one of linkage for motion and for support. It hinges on lines 88 and 89, parallel to lines 83 and 84. A wall-forming linkage connection 90 is shown between wall 80 and partition 85, at a lower level than linkage 8'I, hinging on axes 9| and 92. Because of the different leverages produced by the locations of the axes, the linkage 81 moves faster than linkage 89 in moving the structure to collapse or set-up the box. Hence, the partition 85 is bound to be not secured to the true wall. The structure is generally the same as inFig. 3, except that the several false wall sections are inclined to move beyond a dead center. Folding box walls 93, 94 and 95 have a one-piece insert comprising securing strip 96 on wall 93, scored line 91, false wall 98 inclined toward wall 94, scored'line 99, a supporting section reversed on itself as at I00, scored line IOI, above line 99, downwardly inclined false wall section I02, scored line I03, reversed portion I04 forming another supporting strip, which continues as in the egg carton to provide a vertical partition I05, scored folding line 06 above line I03, upwardly inclined falsewall section I01, folding line I08, a third vertical partition I09, folding line IIIJ, above line I08, the last false-wall section III, folding line 2, and a securing strip H3.

The total of the widths of the false wall sections is greater than the width of the box-wall 94, so that the inner structure may be lifted to an upper position, the edge of which is indicated by dotted line II4. To move from full-line position to dotted-line position, a sort of dead center is passed through. This structure gives a snap and force to the inner structure to move it and to hold it in the full-line position indicated. This structure makes it unnecessary to anchor the supporting webs against the truewall.

In the egg-carton of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, where the short fingers I0, 1|, I2 and I3 underlie the respective flat cross ties 40, 4|, 42 and 43, the structure forces the false wall toward the bottom and prevents it rising above the dead-center, unless the vertical partition be tilted to prevent its fingers forcing the inner structure downwardly.

Referring to Fig. 2 (and Fig. 1 it is also to be considered that the invention contemplates the disclosed type of compartment-forming inner structure for any box, whether the box be folding or rigid. Such compartmentizing-structure may be collapsible, but the ability to make it in open flat form of one or more pieces is an important feature. It need not necessarily be-glued as described. Flat cut blanks may be folded on scored folding lines to produce several transverse partitions and one or more supporting webs where there is also introduced a false-wall, and one or more vertical partitions. Consider, for example, the portion of the blank of Fig. 1, beginning with section I5, and extending at least to folding line 24 at the top of the fingers, or even to the end section 3|. The variations above described may be introduced. If the blank .is taken to include sections I5 to 3|, then it may be folded into a rectangular insert to give the desired structural insert. Section 3| may be widened to terminate with section I5 at the bottom of a box into which the structure is inserted, thus to avoid adhesive or other securing means as preferred in the egg carton.

In the accompanying claims, where the terms top, bottom and sides have been used, it is to be understood that these are merely reference words indicative of relations of the parts, and are not compelling in the use of the box as particularly claimed. The claims also contemplate structures containing the exemplary modifications discussed, as well as others, which may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope, of the invention.

I claim:

1. A folding carton structure comprising a box having a bottom with parallel spaced edges, box sides hinged at said edges, a partition member to lie between said box sides and capable of resting on the bottom, a linking connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition member and at one of said sides, and a second linkage connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition and at the other side, the hinging axes of said connections at the partition being parallel and spaced apart in the direction of the partition, whereby said connections serve to move and to support the partition member between the two sides.

2. A folding carton structure comprising a box having a bottom with parallel spaced edges, box sides hinged at said edges, a partition member to lie between said box sides and capable of resting on the bottom, a linking connection hinged I at both ends above said bottom at the partition member and at one of said sides, a second linkage connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition and at the other side, the hinging axes of said connections at the partition being parallel and spaced apart in the direction of the partition, whereby said connections serve to move and to support the partition member between the two sides, and locking means associated with the bottom to hold the edge of the partition member immovable on the bottom.

3. A folding carton structure comprising a box having a bottom with parallel spaced edges, box sides hinged at said edges, a partition member to lie between said box sides and capable of resting .on the bottom, a linking connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition member and at one of said sides, and a second linkage connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition and at the other side, the hinging axes of said connections at the partition being parallel and spaced apart in the direction of the partition, whereby said connections serve to move and to support the partition member between the two sides, one of said connecting linkages being extensive in sheet-like form to provide an area of false bottom for the box.

4. A folding carton structure comprising a box having a bottom with parallel spaced edges, box sides hinged at said edges, a partition member to lie between said box sides and capable of resting on the bottom, a linking connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition member and at one of said sides, and a second linkage connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition and at the other side, the hinging axes of said connections at the partition being parallel and spaced apart in the direction of the partition, whereby said connections serve to move and to support the partition member between the two sides, one of said two linkage connections being inclined upwardly from the partition to the box side, whereby to provide a force against removal of the partition edgewise away from the bottom.

5. A folding carton structure comprising a box having a bottom with parallel spaced edges, box sides hinged at said edges, a partition member to lie between said box sides and capable of resting on the bottom, a linking connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at. the partition member and at one of said sides, and a second linkage connection hinged at both ends above said bottom at the partition and at the other side, said connections serving to move and to support the partition, member between the two sides, said two linkage connections being hinged at the partition on parallel axes spaced apart in the direction of the partition, and extending upwardly to the box sides, whereby to give direction to the partition and an urge to off-center position in the normal spacing of the box sides.

6. A folding box comprising a bottom, parallel opposite box sides hinged to said bottom, and a unitary structure inside the box forming a false bottom and a support therefor both of which are foldable fiat with the box, said structure consisting of a continuous sheet of foldable material providing two outer sections secured to the box sides and folded to provide hinging axes at the box sides above the level of the box bottom, each outer section having an adjacent portion extending from its axis towards the middle of the box to provide false bottom sections for the box, the portion of the sheet between said false bottom sections being reversely bent forming two parts united to each other to provide a web running toward the box bottom for supporting the false bottom and being hingedly related to said false bottom sections by folds in the material providing axes at different heights on said web.

7. A folding box comprising a bottom, parallel opposite box sides hinged to said bottom, and a unitary structure inside the box forming a false bottom and a support therefor both of which are foldable flat with the box, said structure consisting of a continuous sheet of foldable material providing two outer sections secured to the box sides and folded to provide hinging axes at the box sides above the level of the box bottom, each outer section having an adjacent portion extending from its axis towards the middle of the box to provide false bottom portions for the box, the portion of the sheet between said false bottom sections being reversely bent forming two parts united to each other to provide a web running toward the box bottom for supporting the ialse bottom, and a continuation of said web as a partition above the false bottom sections, said web being hingedly united with said false bottom sections by folds in the material providing axes at different heights on said web.

8. A cushioned carton including a cover and transverse and longitudinal partitions made from a continuous sheet, folded and glued to form inner and outer shells, the walls constituting the bottom of said shells being spaced apart, the top wall of the inner shell being cut to produce flaps adapted to be folded down to serve as transverse partitions, the top wall of the outer shell being free along three edges to form a cover that may be opened and closed, and the bottom of the inner shell being folded upon itself twice to form vertical longitudinal webs one above and one below the bottom of the inner shell, respectively, to partition the carton, and to support the bottom of the inner shell on and above the bottom of the outer shell.

9. A cushioned carton including a cover and transverse and vertical partitions made from a continuous sheet of material folded and glued to form inner and outer shells, the walls constituting the bottom of said shells being spaced apart, the top wall of the inner shell being cut to provide plane cross ties and flaps adapted to be folded down to serve as transverse partitions,

the top wall of the outer shell being free along to provide fingers to support the plane cross ties.

10. An interior structure for a, box for providing compartments therein made from acontinuous sheet of material folded to form a series of adjacent sheet sections, one section of material to be on one side of the box, a second section to cross the opening of the box, said section being cut to produce fiat cross ties and flaps to be folded down as transverse partitions, a third section to lie on the opposite side of the box, and a fourth section to reside below the second section and across the opening of the box, said fourth section having an intermediate portion thereof folded upon itself twice to form vertical longitudinal webs, one above and one below the general level of the said fourth section, the upper web serving as a longitudinal partition extending from the fourth section toward the second section, and the lower web serving as a support for the said fourth section.

11. An interior structure for a box for providing compartments therein made from a continuous sheet of material folded to form a series ofadjacent sheet sections, one section of material to be on one side of the box, a second section to cross the opening of the box, said section being cut to produce flat cross ties and flaps tobe folded down as transverse partitions, a third section to lie on the opposite side of the box, and a fourth section to reside below the second section and across the opening of the box, said fourth section having an intermediate 7 portion thereof folded upon itself twice to form vertical longitudinal webs, one above and one below the general level of the said fourth sec- 

